The Iron Lady and the Iron Curtain

Margaret Thatcher left behind a mixed legacy and Russia had a complex relationship with the strong-minded British prime minister.

As the world remembers the Iron Lady, few
will dispute the sheer greatness of Margaret Thatcher, easily one of the most
outstanding individuals of the 20th century. She did leave behind a
mixed legacy and Russia had a complex relationship with the woman who was first
dubbed the “Iron Lady” by the Red Star, a Soviet Defence Ministry magazine.
Thatcher’s rise to power in the UK was in
many ways a setback to Soviet propagandists the way Barack Obama’s sensational
victory in the US presidential elections in 2008 was for those that loved to
beat America with the racism stick. The USSR prided itself on the women’s
empowerment and the fact that Britain never had a lady prime minister was a
matter of private glee for many on this side of the Iron Curtain. The Soviet
Union loved Indira Gandhi and it was easy to tell the world that a developing
country, and that too a former English colony arguably under the Soviet sphere
of influence, had a strong woman as prime minister.
There is a long list of Thatcher-admirers
in Russia. Her tough-talk against the Soviets obviously inspired a pro-democracy
movement and even years after the collapse of the USSR, Russian leaders were no
doubt inspired by her tough pro-market economic reforms. “Margaret Thatcher was
an outstanding politician,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said. “Her
political views invited varied opinions but her political will commanded
respect.” There were also words of respect paid by Vladimir Putin, who is
currently in Germany.
Obituaries praising Thatcher for playing a
vital role in bringing about the end of the Cold War are a bit far-fetched. If
anything, the Iron Lady set a trend for Britain to become America’s global
lieutenant. A sad state of affairs for a
country that once had the largest empire in history! To her credit, Thatcher
probably did realise that Britain was just another has-been and pushed the
“mother country” closer to the “child.” We all know how subsequent British
prime ministers went out of their way, including almost ignoring public
opinion, to take an American-dictated stance on foreign affairs.
It goes without say that Mikhail Gorbachev
is Thatcher’s greatest Russian admirer. They did get off on the wrong foot but managed
to have a good working relationship. She was one of the biggest international
backers of perestroika, not exactly something that would endear many a Russian.
Gorbachev would also consult Thatcher on a number of domestic issues during the
years leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. One anecdote that was often
repeated by journalists in India is about a conversation Gorbachev allegedly
had with Thatcher. When the Soviet leader asked for some advice on how he could
deal with a multi-national, multi-ethnic state, the British prime minister
asked him to look no further than his Indian friends, who the Iron Lady
believed were doing a very good job of managing diversity.

Tailpiece:
As an admirer of the Iron Lady, I personally think
it’s a disgrace that Britain has decided to not give her a state funeral. In
the last 200 years, four prime ministers have been awarded such an honour: Wellington, Palmerston, Gladstone and
Churchill. Given her role in
transforming Britain, Margaret Thatcher definitely ranks right up there with
the other great leaders and deserves the same honours.